Fret board for guitar

ABSTRACT

An acoustic guitar to be played with a slide bar aginst the strings in the manner of a Hawaiian guitar has a fret board carrying markings for the actual fret locations together with additional visual indicators for determining proper positions of the steel bar on the strings to produce desired chords. The string-contacting slide bar is provided with a retainer loop to encircle the guitar neck to facilitate manual positioning of the slide bar with respect to the tensioned strings.

1 United States Patent 1 m1 3,785,239

Smith Jan. 15, 1974 [54] FRET BOARD FOR GUITAR 3,403,591 10/1968Weitzner 84/485 [76] n entor: alter E. Sm t R0 BOX A 3,610,086 10/1971Decker 84/477 X Fayette Idaho 83661 Primary ExaminerLawrence R. Franklin[22] F iled: Mar. 23, 1973 Att0rneyCharles G. Lyon et al.

Related US. Application Data An acoustic guitar to be played with aslide bar aginst [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 202,371, Nov. 26,the strings in the manner of a Hawaiian guitar has a 1971, Pat. No.3,739,072. fret board carrying markings for the actual fret locationstogether with additional visual indicators for de- [52] US. Cl 84/314,84/477, 84/485 termining proper positions of the steel bar on the [51]Int. Cl. Gl0d 3/06 strings to produce desired chords. The string- [58]Field of Search 84/314, 477, 485 contacting slide bar is provided with aretainer loop to encircle the guitar neck to facilitate manual position-[56] References Cited ing of the slide bar with respect to the tenslonedUNITED STATES PATENTS Stringsv 967,507 8/1910 Finney 84/314 6 Claims, 8Drawing Figures FRET BOARD F OR GUITAR This application is acontinuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 202,371 filedNov. 26, 1971, and entitled Guitar Construction, now US. Pat. No.3,739,072.

This invention relates to stringed musical instruments and isparticularly directed to improvements of the socalled Hawaiian" typeguitar in which a metal slide bar contacts the strings. The fret boardcustomarily employed with such guitars has a series of parallel fretswhich are spaced further and further apart along the neck in a directionaway from the guitar body. If the slide bar is placed in contact withthe strings directly over one of these frets, a chord having the desirednote spacing is produced, but if the slide bar is held in stationarycontact with the strings at some location between the frets, theindividual notes have improper pitch when the strings are sounded. Ifthe musician is experienced, he can ordinarily locate the properpositions directly above the frets by listening to the sound, but abeginner with an untrained ear may not be able to do so. The situationis complicated by the fact that the strings lie above the fret board andthe slide bar is above the strings so that parallax interferes withproper positioning of the slide bar directly over the desired fret.

In accordance with this invention, visual indicators compensating forparallax are provided on the fret board, in addition to markings showingwhere the actual frets are located. A beginner, therefore, may place theslide bar at the proper position as indicated by the visual indicator,and does not have to rely on his untrained ear to find the properpositions for the slide bar.

In a relatedfeature of this invention, brackets may be adjustablymounted along the length of the neck and shaped to receive one end ofthe slide bar. In this way a beginner is assisted in placing the slidebar at the proper location.

As another feature of this invention, the slide bar may be provided witha retainer loop which encircles a portion of the neck of the guitar. Inthis way the retainer loop assists the guitar player in holding theslide bar close to the strings so that a minimum amount of movement ofthe slide bar is necessary in a direction normal to the plane of thestrings. Furthermore, the retainer loop helps to avoid embarrassmentcaused by accidentally dropping the slide bar.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a perspective view showing a guitar having a fret boardequipped with visual indicators constituting one form of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the lines 22 as shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a slide bar with aretainer loop.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the lines 4-4 as shownin FIG. 3.

F IG. 5 is a perspective view partly broken away, and showing amodification.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the lines 7-7 as shownin FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a fret board constituting another modification.

Referring to the drawings, the guitar generally designated 10 as shownin FIGS. 14 has an acoustic hollow body 11 of conventional shape andconstruction joined to a neck 12. The neck is provided with a nut 13.anda plurality of string-tensioning devices 14. The upper wall of the body11 is provided with the usual sound opening 16. A metallic anchor 17 forthe strings overlies a portion of the body 11 and is fixed to an endwall 19 of the body 11. A plurality of tensioned strings 21 extend fromthe string anchor 17 over the bridge 23 and over the fret board 24 ofthe neck 12 and over the nut 13 to the string-tightening devices 14. Theplane of the strings between the bridge 23 and the nut 13 is disposed atan angle with respect to the upper surface of the body 11, and the fretboard 24 is also inclined, parallel with the plane of the strings 12.This feature of inclined strings is described in detail in my prior US.Pat. Nos. 3,398,622, 3,398,623 and 3,426,638.

In accordance with the present invention, the fret board 24 is providedwith a plurality of upstanding pegs or other raised elements 25 whichextend upward above the plane of the fret board 24 but below the planeof the strings 21. These pegs 25 are placed adja cent certain of thefrets 26 as a visual aid in placing the slide bar 27 over the properfret 26. The proper position for the slide bar 27 is directly over oneof the frets 26, but the peg 25 is placed slightly to one side of thatfret because parallax otherwise deceives the guitar player and causeshim to place the slide bar 27 at a position slightly too close to-theguitar body 11;

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the slide bar 27 is hollow to receive a partof a retainer loop 28 which passes through the hollow interior of theslide bar 27 and which encircles a portion of the neck 12. The slide bar27 is preferably provided with a ring 29 and lateral projection 30,described in my prior US. Pat. No. 3,386,325. The function of theretainer loop 28 is to assist the guitar player in holding the slide bar27 close to the strings 21 at all times, so that a minimum amount ofmovement of the slide bar 27 occurs in a direction normal to the planeof the strings. It will be understood that the slide bar 27 with itsretainer loop 28 may be used with conventional guitars in which theplane of the strings is substantially parallel to the upper wall of theguitar body. In any case the retainer loop 28 helps to avoidembarrassment caused by accidentally dropping the slide bar 27.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, a guiderail 31 is mounted along one side of the neck 124 1. This guide rail hasa T shaped slot 32 which serves as a mounting for a plurality ofbrackets 33 each having a U-shaped recess 34. The bottom of eachU-shaped recess 34 is positioned just below the plane of the strings21a. Each bracket slides along the upper portion of the rail and is heldin selected position by means of a thumb screw 35 engaging a nut 36which slides in the slot 32. From this description it will be understoodthat the brackets 33 may each be positioned in a fixed locationwithrespect to one of the frets 26a. A beginner may place one end of theslide bar27a in any one of the bracket recesses 34 and be confident thathe has selected the proper location for the stringcontacting slide bar,and that the strings when sounded will produce the desired chord. Formany simple musical compositions, only three positions of the slide bar27a are required, and accordingly, chords for these musical compositionsrequire the use of only three brackets 33 spaced at the proper frets26a.

In the modification of FIG. 8, the fret board 24b is provided withmarkings 26b showing the true locations of the various frets along theneck 12b. In addition to these fret markings 26b, there is provided aplurality of visual indicators 41 each extending across the fret boardand each spaced to some extent from a corresponding fret 26b. Thespacing is not uniform; it will be noted that spacing between the actualfret position 26b and the position of the adjacent visual indicator 41increases gradually in the direction of the arrow 42, which is directedaway from the position of the body of the guitar. The positions of thevisual indicators 41 are .chosen so that, whether the musician is in astanding or sitting position, the slide bar may be placed so that itappears to the musician that it is directly over one of these visualindicators. In fact, however, and because of parallax, the slide barwill be positioned directly above the actual fret position 26b. Thevisual indicators 41 may take the form of wide strips, colored oruncolored, or may comprise relatively wide flat ribs raised above thesurface of the fret board 24b.

The visual indicators 41 in FIG. 8 or the pegs 25 of FIG. 3 may alsocomprise small light globes or other elements which may be separatelyilluminated. The electrical circuits may include switches (not shown)under the control of a teacher, who may thus assist a student musicianto place the slide bar in the proper locations by selectivelyilluminating the visual indicators.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I amnot to be limited to the details herein set forth but that my inventionis of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a guitar, a fret board having a series of frets and a series ofelements each projecting upward above and between the frets and belowthe plane of the guitar strings to provide visual assistance in placinga slide bar on the strings.

2. In a musical instrument having tensioned strings in a plane, a fretboard having a series of fret marks to indicate actual fret positions, aseries of spaced visual indicators projecting from the fret board, eachvisual indicator being placed near one of the fret marks but spacedtherefrom so that when a musician playing the instrument places a slidebar on the strings in visual alignment with one of said visualindicators, 21 parallax condition occurs so that the slide bar isactually positioned in alignment with one of the actual fret marks.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the visual indicatorscomprise selectively illuminable elements.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the spacing betweeneach visual indicator and its related fret mark increases along the fretboard in a direction away from the body.

5. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the visual indicatorscomprise pegs extending above the fret board but terminating short ofthe plane of the strings.

6. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the visual indicatorscomprise markings extending transversely across the fret board.

1. In a guitar, a fret board having a series of frets and a series ofelements each projecting upward above and between the frets and belowthe plane of the guitar strings to provide visual assistance in placinga slide bar on the strings.
 2. In a musical instrument having tensionedstrings in a plane, a fret board having a series of fret marks toindicate actual fret positions, a series of spaced visual indicatorsprojecting from the fret board, each visual indicator being placed nearone of the fret marks but spaced therefrom so that when a musicianplaying the instrument places a slide bar on the strings in visualalignment with one of said visual indicators, a parallax conditionoccurs so that the slide bar is actually positioned in alignment withone of the actual fret marks.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 2 inwhich the visual indicators comprise selectively illuminable elements.4. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the spacing betweeneach visual indicator and its related fret mark increases along the fretboard in a direction away from the body.
 5. The combination set forth inclaim 2 in which the visual indicators comprise pegs extending above thefret board but terminating short of the plane of the strings.
 6. Thecombination set forth in claim 2 in which the visual indicators comprisemarkings extending transversely across the fret board.